CANDLE FILTER DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a candle filter device, primarily for filtration of solids from liquids, and containing one or more candle filter elements and the process of operating the same.

Claims

1. Filter device comprising a pressure vessel with a feed room and a filtrate room, separated by a head plate, wherein a. one or more filter elements are vertically mounted in the head plate, and b. a feed inlet is reaching in the feed room, and c. at least one vent opening is fitted to the feed room, and d. at least one gas supply nozzle and at least one draining nozzle are fitted to the feed room, characterized in that the filter elements are equipped with dip channels inside.

2. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the vent opening is at a higher vertical height than the lowest outlet level of the draining nozzle.

3. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the distance h between the vent opening and the lowest outlet level of the draining nozzle is designed to guarantee a buffer gas volume equivalent to the inside volume of the dip channels of all filter elements installed during backwash.

4. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein each of the filter elements comprise a support body and a filter cloth that is laid around the support body, wherein the support body comprises a centrally positioned dip channel and outer longitudinal flow channels.

5. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the support body of the filter elements is formed of a continuous profile, preferably a continuous extruded profile, even more preferably comprising a thermoplastic material.

6. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the outer contour of the support body of the filter elements is circular, star-shaped, cricket bat-shaped or elliptical.

7. Filter element according to claim 1, wherein a central tube forms the dip channel and longitudinal bars are mounted on that central tube.

8. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the outer longitudinal flow channels of the filter elements are formed by longitudinal walls within the material of the support body with rounded outer edges and covered by the filter cloth.

9. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the dip channel volume of the filter elements is at least 1% larger than the total differential volume of all outer longitudinal flow channels of the filter elements.

10. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the filter cloth is fixed on the filter elements by cloth-fixing elements, in particular one cloth-fixing element on the bottom end of the longitudinal channel area and one cloth-fixing element on the top end of the longitudinal channel area of the candle filter element, wherein the cloth-fixing elements are also sealing the filtrate room against the feed room.

11. Filter device according to claim 1, wherein the filter elements are further equipped with a coupling part between the support body and the fixing device and with a pin for an optimum alignment of the filter element in the filter device.

12. Filter device according to claim 11, wherein the filter cloth is fixed above the coupling part of the filter element to cover the pin and the coupling.

13. Filter device according to claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic material of the filter elements is a compound material containing stability-enhancing additives such as carbon fibers or glass fibers.

14. Process for backwashing a filter device as described in claims 1-13, comprising the following steps: a. Depressurize the filter device, b. Drain all possible suspension from the feed room by the draining nozzle c. Pressurize the filter device by a pressurized gas through the gas supply nozzle d. Backwash the filter elements by i. Rapidly relieve the pressure in the feed room, thereby inducing a gas impulse of the compressed gas from the filtrate room that rapidly and intensively drives the filtrate downwards inside the dip channels, ii. Allow the filter cloth to expand until it reaches its maximum cross-section, thereby removing the filter cake from the filter cloth, e. Optionally allow the sedimentation of filter cake slurry, f. Drain the filter cake slurry from bottom part of the feed room by the emptying nozzle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a filter apparatus according to the invention.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the filter apparatus according to the invention.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a candle filter element according to the invention.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a detail of the extruded support body with a filter cloth and a filter cake comprising of the particles filtered from the feed suspension.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a preferred design of a filter candle element for wet cake discharge according to the invention.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows the cross section of an alternative embodiment where the continuously extruded profile resembles a star shape.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows the cross section of an alternative embodiment where the continuously extruded profile resembles a cricket bat.

[0046] FIG. 8 shows the cross section of an alternative embodiment of a filter candle where the longitudinal bars are mounted on the main body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter device comprising a pressure vessel with a feed room and a filtrate room, separated by a head plate, wherein

[0048] a) one or more filter elements are vertically mounted in the head plate, and

[0049] b) a feed inlet is reaching in the feed room.

[0050] In addition, the filter device has

[0051] a) at least one vent opening, and

[0052] b) at least one gas supply nozzle and at least one draining nozzle, both of which are fitted to the feed room,

[0053] and wherein the filter elements are equipped with dip channels inside.

[0054] The feed inlet may consist in a standpipe with a standpipe outlet according to FIG. 2. Alternatively, the feed inlet may be one or more nozzles that are mounted in the side wall of the feed room. The vent opening should be mounted in the feed room at the highest technically possible position. The vent opening may be a) identical with the feed inlet, e.g., a standpipe outlet (Alternative A); b) may be separate nozzles in the side wall of the feed room (Alterative B); or c) may be a nozzle in the head plate, connected to the outside of the filter device (not to the filtrate room) (Alterative C). Alternative A with a standpipe and a standpipe outlet is shown in FIG. 2.

[0055] Preferably the vent opening is at a greater vertical height than the lowest outlet level of the draining nozzle. The distance between the vent opening and the lowest outlet level of the draining nozzle is called “distance h”.

[0056] Even more preferably the distance h between the vent opening and the lowest outlet level of the draining nozzle is designed to guarantee a buffer gas volume equivalent to the inside volume of the dip channels of all filter elements installed during backwash.

[0057] The filter elements installed in the filter device may be of various types generally already known in the prior art. The filter elements can be of the types, e.g., disclosed in DE 3249756 C2, U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,472 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,424, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, in one certainly preferred embodiment of the present invention the filter elements comprise a support body and a filter cloth that is laid around the support body, wherein the support body comprises a centrally positioned dip channel and outer longitudinal flow channels. The filter cloth may be wrapped around the support body. During operation of the filter element the filter cloth supports a filter cake when flowed through by a suspension from the outside to the inside. The dip channel may have a circular or a non-circular, e.g., square, hexagonal etc. cross-section. “Channels” in the context of the present invention shall mean longitudinal free spaces that are formed by the material of the support body, but shall explicitly exclude tubes like, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,472. The simplest embodiment of the dip channel may be a longitudinal free space of circular cross-section in the center of the profile. The outer longitudinal flow channels are essentially completely open radially towards the outside of the filter element—and not only perforated to a certain extent like in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,472—, as can be seen in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. This feature of the flow channels provides for a lower resistance against the liquid flow or respective gas flow during filtration operation and backwashing and thereby results in a more efficient backwashing.

[0058] Preferably the support body of the filter element in the filter device according to the invention is formed of a continuous profile, even more preferably a continuous extruded profile, preferably comprising a thermoplastic material. Instead, the extruded profile may be made of another extruded material, e.g., a metal (like aluminum, etc.) or glass. In principle, even a ceramic material may be suitable.

[0059] “Continuous” in the context of the present invention means that the cross-section of the body is identical over the whole length of the support body. “Extruded” in the context of the present invention means that the support body over its whole length as well as all longitudinal bars are continuously formed in an extrusion process.

[0060] Continuous, extruded profiles generally have the advantage that they usually show no dead zones like edges, corners and the like, where filter fluid or particles could stay for long residence time and undergo changes like decomposition, ageing, bacterial growth etc. that could have negative effects.

[0061] However, for some applications where dead zones are less dangerous, also continuous profiles comprising a central tube that forms the dip channel and longitudinal bars mounted on that central tube by known methods (like welding, screwing, riveting, etc.) are suitable. Such bodies could for example be longitudinal finned tubes, like, e.g., used for liquid-air heat exchangers.

[0062] Preferably the outer contour of the support body of the filter element in the filter device according to the invention may be circular, star-shaped, cricket bat-shaped or elliptical. “Elliptical” shall mean a rounded, non-edged, non-circular outer contour with two axes of symmetry showing a relation of the long and short axes of symmetry of the cross-section of the support body of between 1,1:1 and 20:1. A cricket bat shape will also be possible for the purposes of the present invention. Some suitable outer contour forms, i.e., profile shapes, can be derived from FIGS. 5 (round), 6 (star-shaped) and 7 (cricket bat-shaped).

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the outer longitudinal flow channels of the filter elements are formed by longitudinal walls within the material of the support body with rounded outer edges and are covered by the filter cloth. During the filtration operation the filter cloth lays on these rounded outer edges and therefore is essentially supported by the longitudinal walls.

[0064] Preferably the dip channel volume of a filter element is, at least equal to or greater than, 1% larger than the total differential volume of all outer longitudinal flow channels of the same filter element, preferably between 1% and 5% larger. The total differential volume shall mean the total volume (accessible for the filtrate) in the filter cloth in backwashing position minus the volume (accessible for the filtrate) of the channels covered by the filter cloth in the filtration position.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment of the invention the filter cloth is a substantially cylindrical filter cloth. Preferably it is fixed on the filter element by cloth-fixing elements, in particular by one cloth-fixing element at the bottom end of the longitudinal channel area and one cloth-fixing element at the top end of the longitudinal channel area of the candle filter element. In this embodiment of the present invention the cloth-fixing elements are also sealing the filtrate room against the feed room. Cloth-fixing elements may be, e.g., clamps, tension rings or other suitable devices that are principally known to the skilled in the art.

[0066] Preferably the filter element is further equipped with a coupling part between the support body and the fixing device and with a pin for an optimum alignment of the filter element in the filter device.

[0067] Preferably the filter cloth is fixed above the coupling part to cover the pin and the bottom part of the coupling part, as can be seen in FIG. 3.

[0068] The thermoplastic material of the filter element according to the invention may be a compound material containing stability-enhancing additives such as carbon fibers or glass fibers. Such materials as well as the methods to shape them in an appropriate way are in principle known by the skilled in the art.

[0069] Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for backwashing a filter device as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0070] a) Depressurizing the filter device,

[0071] b) Draining all possible suspension from the feed room by the draining nozzle in order to guarantee a buffer gas volume equivalent to the inside volume of the dip channels of all filter elements installed,

[0072] c) Pressurizing the filter device by a pressurized gas through the gas supply nozzle

[0073] d) Backwashing the filter elements by [0074] i) Rapidly relieving the pressure in the feed room by quickly opening the vent opening(s), thereby inducing a gas impulse of the compressed gas from the filtrate room that rapidly and intensively drives the filtrate downwards inside the dip channels, [0075] ii) Allowing the filter cloth to expand until it reaches its maximum cross-section, thereby removing the filter cake from the filter cloth,

[0076] e) Optionally allowing the sedimentation of filter cake slurry, and

[0077] f) Draining the filter cake slurry from bottom part of the feed room by the emptying nozzle.

[0078] If the filter cake slurry has sedimented, then only a part of the content of the feed room can be drained. Alternatively, if the filter cake slurry has not sedimented, then the whole content of the feed room can be drained.

[0079] FIG. 1 shows a filter vessel 100 with a number of the filter candles 4, according to the invention that are mounted on a head plate 3 which separates the feed room 1 from the filtrate room 2.

[0080] The filter candles 4 are connected to the filtrate room through holes 5 in the head plate, shown in FIG. 2.

[0081] The filter vessel 100 further is equipped with a feed nozzle 6 connected to a standpipe 7, a gas supply nozzle 8, a draining nozzle 9, a filtrate nozzle 10 and an emptying nozzle 11 and a further outlet 12.

[0082] Filtration happens by introducing unfiltered fluid containing particles, together forming a suspension, into the feed room 1 via feed nozzle 6. The particles remain on the outside surface of the filter candles 4 and filtered fluid flows through the filter candles 4 into the filtrate room 2 and further leaves the filter vessel via filtrate nozzle 10.

[0083] To discharge the solids, typically in form of a slurry, the feed room 1 remains filled after finishing a filtration cycle, indicated by a defined thickness of the filter cake or by reaching a predetermined differential pressure and is depressurized via outlet 12. Draining nozzle 9 will be opened and the apparatus will be drained. The level of fluid in the filter candles 4 will automatically reach the same height as the level in the feed room 1 and will be equal to the lowest outlet level of draining nozzle 9. The filter candles 4 at this step are filled with filtrate inside whereas the feed room 1 is filled with unfiltered fluid. The volume in the feed room 1 defined by the lowest outlet level of draining nozzle 9 and (according to Alternative A) the outlet 12 is required to receive the filtrate volume from the filter candles 4 after backwash, which determines the distance h between the lowest outlet level of nozzle 9 and the outlet 12 (see FIG. 2). By designing this volume big enough to receive the full volume of backwash fluid, it is ensured that nowhere in the system there is a high resistance to flow of the backwash fluid even when backwashing the total filter area at once.

[0084] In a next step pressurized gas is applied via gas supply nozzle 8. The vessel 100 will be pressurized inside the feed room 1 first and then via the filter candles 4 inside the filtrate room 2. This means that finally all chambers of the vessel 100 are operated at substantially the same gas pressure. In a next step a valve at outlet 12 is opened as rapidly as technically possible, preferably in less than 1 second, the pressure in the feed room 1 is thereby decreasing rapidly and a gas impulse is applied with the help of the compressed gas in the filtrate room 2 that rapidly and intensively drives the filtrate downwards inside the dip tubes. Furthermore, it drives the filtrate between the dip tubes and the filter cloth upwards along the outer flow channel(s) of the support structure in the reverse flow direction inside out through the filter cloth.

[0085] This happens at the whole filter area within a very short time period (<1 second), ensured by the high volume of pressurized gas provided in filtrate room 2 and the sufficient gas volume inside the feed room 1 to accept the total fluid backwashed.

[0086] As a result, the filter cloth expands until it reaches a full circular cross-section, which is larger than the respective diameter cross-section of the support body (including the longitudinal bars). As the filtrate flows through the filter cloth from the inside to the outside, which is the opposite direction to the flow of filtration it removes the filter cake from the filter cloth. At the same time, it also removes particles entrapped inside the pores of the filter cloth.

[0087] The filter cake is resuspended in the unfiltered fluid room and after sedimentation, it accumulates at the bottom part of the filter vessel 100 as a slurry from where it is discharged via an emptying nozzle 11.

[0088] FIG. 3 shows the main parts of the candle filter 4. The support body 13 includes an extrusion profile with integrated dip tube 14, a bottom part 15 for collecting the filtrate and redirecting the flow and a support area 16 for the clamp 17 to fasten the filter cloth 18, a coupling part 19 to connect the filter element via a pin 20 with the fixing device 21. On the fixing device 21, there is another support area 16 for the clamp 17 to fasten the filter cloth. One clamp shall be on the bottom side and one clamp shall be on the top side of the filter cloth. On the top side, the filter element 4 is equipped with a means (not shown) to connect the same to the filtrate room 2.

[0089] According to the invention, unfiltered fluid passes the candle filter element from outside in. The fluid passes the filter cloth and a certain differential pressure is built from the outside to the inside. Driven by this differential pressure, the filter cloth 18 will lay down on the surface of the support body 13 (see FIG. 4). This happens very evenly around the circumference. The particles of the unfiltered fluid separated on the surface of the filter cloth 18, build particle bridges and a filter cake 23 is thereby formed. The clean filtered fluid passes the filter cloth 18 and is collected in the outer longitudinal flow channels 22 of the support body 13. These channels 22 are closed on the top side of the support body, so the filtered fluid is forced to flow downwards, to the bottom part 15, is redirected there to flow upwards through the dip tube 14 of the support body 13 and to exit the candle filter element 4 at the top side. After finishing building up a filter cake 23, the filter candle 4 will be cleaned where after filtration starts again. Cleaning can be done in two different ways. Depending whether the filter cake 23 is desired to be discharged in a dry manner or whether a filter cake discharge as a slurry is desired for the process

[0090] Backwash and cake discharge happens by reversing the flow of fluid by means of a pump or of introducing a gas from filtrate side. Cake discharge can be done in a dry manner, by firstly removing all the liquid from the system and dropping the filter cake through a bottom valve, or, in a slurry form by backwashing into the filled feed room 1 and afterward draining the slurry from the same.

[0091] FIG. 5 shows a preferred design of a filter candle element 4 for wet cake discharge according to the invention. The support body 13 for the filter cake including the outer flow channels for the filtrate and the dip channel are all made of one continuously extruded profile. Thus, the element only needs to be completed by top and bottom parts, preferably made of simple machined or injection molded parts and therefore the material used as well as the time needed to fabricate the element is kept at a minimum. The diameter of the dip tube channel is thereby designed to accommodate enough fluid to compensate for the volume change caused by the movement of the filter cloth during backwash.

[0092] FIG. 6 shows the cross section of an alternative embodiment where the continuously extruded profile resembles a star shape and thereby allows for a higher movement of the filter cloth 18 when being inflated during the application of compressed gas from the inside thus having an improved filter cake release.

[0093] FIG. 7 shows the cross section of an alternative embodiment where the continuously extruded profile 13 resembles a cricket bat that again allows for a high movement of the filter cloth when being inflated during the application of compressed gas from the inside. This embodiment has an additional advantage of allowing form accommodating a higher total volume of filter cake in a given filter vessel dimension.

[0094] FIG. 8 shows the cross section of an alternative embodiment where the longitudinal bars are mounted on the main body by welding (e.g., resistance welding) U-shaped metal profiles 26 onto a central tube 25.